Creative Digital Media @ stj
Component 1
Your PSA task is divided into two Activities:
For the Activity 1, you will write three reports.
Each report will be about a media product:
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One from the Moving Image sector.
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One from the Publishing sector.
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One from the Interactive sector.
For Activity 2, you will write about at least two media products from the moving image sector. This will be a more detailed report.
What media products you will write about will be based on the theme of the set assignment (PSA) We won't know this until the 15th of January when it is released.
Ensure you name your files as detailed below
(2 separate files):
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Forename_surname_Task1
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Forename_surname_Task2
Example – John_Smith_Task1
Activity 1 - Primary Research
Your primary research should be at the start of your three reports, as an introduction about what the target audience thinks about family films and films with the theme of parenthood in general.
You need to say what primary research you conducted and how the results helped you understand why these films are popular.
Analise the responses you got from the questionnaire and also try to relate it to the products you have written about.
Activity 1 - Three Reports
You will follow the same writing structure as the film (structure below)
Below is the structure for the first report you will write. Use this to help you write
about your film poster. You should also research the film so you can write
about what the poster is promoting.
What publishing product have you chosen?
Use your notes and the secondary research you have conducted to write about the product you have chosen.
Audiences
Primary Target audience
Who is the primary audience? Write about the age and gender of the person the film/poster/magazine/game/website is targeting. This is called Demographics.
What else would the primary target audience like or consume? (games, other films of the same genre etc) This is called an audience profile and you need to write about what kind of person would this film appeal to, having seen the poster.
Secondary Audience
Who else would the film poster appeal to? Some people might like similar genre films but be attracted to the film because of other reasons:
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Famous actors
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Similar theme or storyline
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Watching with family of friends
You need to write about who else, outside the primary audience, would watch the film having seen the poster.
The purpose
What is the purpose of the poster/game/website? (to promote, to inform, to entice the audience to go and see the film, play the game, have a certain interest in a website etc.
Film posters also give a flavour of the film and will include characters and other elements of the film (colour, props) Write about how this sets the expectation of the viewer of the poster when they watch the film. How does the poster convince the viewer to go and watch the film?
Why do audiences watch films? What do they do for us? You need to write about how the film allows us to be entertained and allows escapism.
How do you think the poster would have been received by the audience? (would they have been impressed? Knowing the film has just been released or is coming out soon adds to the tension and excitement of the audience.
Magazines and books can also inform/educate and entertain
What is the purpose of games? (interactivity, personalisation, sense of community, peer pressure etc)
Interperet and Respond
The preferred reading for the film poster is that the audience would get excited about going to see the film, this is the intended reaction from the producer of the poster. The poster would meet the audience's expectations.
Some people would have an oppositional reading from the poster because they might not like that type of film, they would disagree with that particular film and prefer other film genres. It might be through choice, be offended or other reasons.
Oppositional reading tends to come from audiences outside of the primary target audience and demographics - Age, Gender, ethnicity, opinion, upbringing, mood etc
Some viewers of the poster will have a negotiated opinion, they understand the appeal of the film poster and what it is advertising, but they might not choose to watch it. They would perhaps watch the film with friends, but they would tend to be secondary audiences and prefer other films that may be similar.
This would be the same for an interactive product and any publishing product
The relationship between the Purpose, the Target Audience
Write about how media products (films/TV/games/social apps) are created to keep the audience interested in those products.
Audience expectations. The audience has a certain expectation from a genre and the film/game they choose to watch. Ask yourself why you watch that particular film or play that game. What were your expectations and why? The actors, theme, gameplay, interactivity, notoriety of the “brand”, you know what you are getting when you watch or play.
The audience actively seeks out certain media products to satisfy their own needs. This relates to Uses and Gratification.
The primary target audience will have an expectation about the product (film/game/magazine/website):
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The characters and narrative
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The expectation of the genre.
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The typical content of the magazine (gossip/interviews/informative interviews/certain images of celebs etc)
The audience is an active audience – this means the audience has actively sought out the product to consume.
Gratification – escapism from reality, taking time out to watch a film, play a game or read a book.
To be entertained, this changes our mood and emotions depending on the product.
The trailer (product) promotes the film, this ensures the film will be popular and make money.
To ensure the popularity of the franchise of the film, plus the interest in similar films (genre) Keeping people interested. Fans grow older so the series of films might change.
The intentions or motivation of the producer of the product. To keep the genre or series of films in the mind of the teenage audience. There is loyalty or an investment from an audience to watch the film or play the game.
Some audiences will watch a film because it is based on a book or a game they have played.
The above is the same for a game/website and magazines
Activity 2
Read Activity 2 from your PSA CLICK HERE for a digital copy of your PSA
You need to choose a film related to the theme (choose a new film that relates to the theme of parenting and parenthood, or a film aimed at the family market) This should be completed on a new Word document (named Activity 2 and then your name) and use your exam account
You should write about 1 or 2 films (the top mark example has 2 films and a comparison) You can write about 1 film in greater depth if you think you might struggle with writing about 2 films.
The film trailer of your chosen film plus your research into the film will give you enough information to write your report on the following:
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The genre of the film and the general plot (story)
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The Narrative structure
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Representation - Characters (Antagonist and Protagonist) Stereotypes of characters (relate to mise en scene)
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The use of camera angles and movements
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Mise En Scene
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How the above is combined to create meaning and engage the audience
Scroll down for help on what to write
Genre - What type of film?
How do you know what genre the film is, what is telling you?
Write briefly about the following:
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The storyline, genres have certain storylines that conform to the style of the genre.
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The stereotypical characters you find in the genre (in your chosen film)
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The general "feel" of the film - I know this is a comedy because...
Linear and Non-Linear Narrative Structures
This task is all about how to understand different types of narratives.
We need to know two main types, Linear and Non-Linear.
Your task is to research and give an example of Linear and Non-Linear narratives.
Choose a screengrab from the films below or the back to the future scenes to explain:
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Linear narrative (chronological order - a straight timeline)
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Non-linear narrative (flashbacks, flashforward, parallel narratives.
Structure your analysis like this:
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Screengrab of the film poster/screenshot of the scene.
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What is the scene and who are the characters it happens to?
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What is the flashback? (who, why where)
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How does the flashback happen? (how is it edited)
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Can you explain why the flashback is important?
Do the same for flashforward and parallel.
Why has a flashback been used?
How does the loop (the day repeating) shape the narrative (story) of the film?
Narrative - Structure Theory
Once upon a time, there was a hero.
Every day the hero did… and dreamed…
One day, there was an event that changed everything.
Because of that, a chain of events occurred.
Until, finally, there was an irreversible change to the hero and his/her world.
Todorov believed that all films follow the same structure.
1. A state of equilibrium (all is as it should be, or this is how things are in the beginning)
2. A disruption of that order by an event. (something happens)
3. A recognition that the disorder has occurred. (realisation)
4. An attempt to repair the damage of the disruption. (how to fix the implication of the disorder)
5. The creation of a new equilibrium. (either back to how things were or a new one where you cannot go back)
EXAMPLE:
The disruption of the order by an event.
Marty is sent back 30 years to 1955 because to escape the terrorists he gets into the time machine and goes to 88Mph. This scene is just after her time travels and he realises this is not a dream.
An attempt to repair the damage after the realisation
Marty finds Doc Brown using the telephone directory from the cafe (last video) Marty shows Doc the machine he built and belives him. Doc then creates a plan to get Marty back to the future (as that's where he came from)
The creation of a new equilibrium.
Because Marty knows the clock tower will be struck by lightning, the plan works and Marty returns to 1985. This is not the end of the narrative.
Marty accidentally changing the events in the past so his future is altered, creating a new 1985. There is a cliff hanger at the end.
The creation of a new equilibrium cont... Cliff Hanger example
When Marty returns to 1985 Doc Brown takes the time machine back and heads off to the future. Marty goes home, waking up to find his family more wealthy than before (the new equilibrium) when Marty sees his girlfriend, Doc Brown comes back from the future...
Representation - Character Types - Propps Theory
Watch the video and look at the link below to help you understand the different character types.
TASK - Use either Harry Potter characters or a film of your choice.
Find images of the characters to:
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Describe the character, who are they? How do they fit into the narrative?
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Explain what the character type is (propps theory) How do you know?
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How is the character represented? (Use mise en scene information)
Camera Angles and Movement
Write about how camera angles have been used to add meaning to the scene. You will need a screenshot of the angle and add this to your report, write about:
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What angle or movement has been used?
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Why has that particular angle/movement been used?
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How does that add meaning (tension/comedy etc)
Below is a link to a downloadable PDF worksheet that gives examples of angles and movements with examples.
Mise En Scene
Mise en Scene - CLICK HERE for help on this.
Watch the trailer on the right. Pause the video where you need to and add more to your report. You need to show how Mise en scene combines to add meaning to the scene.
Below is a list that is included with Mise en scene. it would be best if you wrote about as many as possible.
Start by screen-grabbing sections that illustrate the point you want to make. You could write about two or three keywords using one screengrab. Make sure you write about how they combine to create meaning for the audience, for example: How the use of lighting together with the costume creates a sense of comedy.
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Settings - The location (interior, exterior, natural, stylised, location, backdrop)
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Props (Key, foreground, background) What props do the characters use? Why are the props there? How do the props add to the 'feel' of the scene?
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Costume (Authentic, stylised, coordination with setting) How does the costume fit with the style of the film (genre) Is the costume futuristic, quirky, old-fashioned, or unusual?
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Make-up (natural, expressive) Including altering the face using extreme make-up (prosthetics)
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Visual effects (CGI) Identify scenes where post-production special effects have been used. How does this enhance the scene? (makes it seem more realistic)
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Use of sound - Describe how music adds tension and mood to the trailer, including how it builds up and suddenly stops - how the music fits with the scenes.
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Use of colour Describe the colours used in the scene. This could be an overall colour cast to show danger or coldness, the colour of props and other lighting effects (lightsabers in Star Wars for example)
Creating Meaning
This section is about how the film creates meaning and engages the audience. This relates to Stuart Hall's reception theory and you can mention this briefly
Write about how the audience has a certain expectation of the film and how they are engaged by the combination of all you have written about above.
You can summarise how camera angles and movement combine with the sound effects and the stereotypical characters to create tension or comedy.
This entertains the audience and makes them laugh. You can then say this is entertainment and escapism for the audience.
Stuart Hall would say this is the dominant reading - people would laugh and be entertained.
If the production techniques did not work well the film would not be successful and the audience may not enjoy the film and have an oppositional reading.